The Problem With Mates
by CrazyKitCat
Summary: When Natsu and Levy take a job translating texts about dragons to get away from Gajeel and Lucy, what they discover will change the relationship between the two friends. Cowritten with CelestialAuthor


**I don't own Fairy Tail and this was cowritten with ****CelestialAuthor.**

* * *

Natsu dropped his head down on the countertop of the bar and tried to shut out his hearing. Gajeel and Lucy were acting like a bunch of lovesick puppies and it was driving his inner dragon insane.

When Natsu had first met Gajeel Redfox, he felt an instant dislike. Gajeel fought for a guild who had attacked Natsu's home. When Gajeel started spewing bullshit about handing Lucy over, Natsu wanted to beat the crap out of him. When Gajeel attacked Team Shadowgear, Natsu wanted to eradicate him from the face of Fiore.

When he had first met Lucy at the Port of Hargeon, she had reminded him of his late friend, Lisanna. She and Natsu had been so close, that Natsu immediately felt a connection for Lucy's kindness, as well as an instinct to protect her. He now recognised that inherent instinct as a willingness to protect a fellow dragon slayer's mate.

Natsu remembered enough of Igneel's lessons to remember that once a matured dragon recognized their mate, there was nothing in heaven or Earth that could stop them from claiming. The 20-something Gajeel had recognised Lucy at first glance and had mentally broken down until he could claim her. Lucy had fought back every second, (despite instinct telling her to accept him) as a stand for solidarity with her guild. Once Natsu had soundly beaten the snot out of the distracted Iron Dragon slayer, Gajeel had retreated to recompose himself.

He had only lasted a week before Gajeel was on Lucy's doorstep, begging her to give him a chance. Three weeks later, they were glued together 24/7. Lucy's love had the tough Iron Dragon Slayer melting in her hands like putty.

It was making Natsu sick.

He couldn't understand how everyone was so accepting, if not cautious, of Iron-for-Brains. HE HAD ATTACKED LEVY!... And Jet and Droy… He had attacked Levy, Jet, and Droy. Lucy and Levy had quickly been becoming best friends, but Lucy was sitting in Gajeel's lap and giggling happily as if nothing had happened. Natsu was a big enough man to admit that Gajeel seemed loyal to the guild, if just for Lucy, but that didn't erase his wrongs.

Protecting Levy against Laxus helped though.

Natsu sighed and started banging his head repeatedly on the bar. Why was it so hard to figure out how he felt? He felt like he should hate Gajeel for attacking his friends, but he had also protected them, so he didn't know how to feel.

"Hey, hey, Natsu. Stop that or you'll hurt yourself!" he heard a soft, feminine voice say before two hands rested on his shoulders. He didn't react because he'd known that voice since he was a kid.

"Hey Levy," he muttered.

"Natsu," she smiled as she took a seat next to him. "What has you in such a mood?"

"Gajeel," he responded, turning to look at her. She stiffened instantly. His curiosity was piqued. "Why did you say that you accepted him into the guild when you're obviously still scared of him?"

"Natsu—"

"Just tell me," Natsu cut off her protest. Levy looked conflicted for a moment, before…

"He makes Lucy happy," Levy whispered as she glanced over to the happy couple. "Don't we all deserve that?"

Natsu's eyes widened as he took in her hesitant posture. Obviously she was still a little scared of Gajeel, no matter what she said to Lucy. Natsu wanted to protect his long-time friend. Levy belonged in a library with a happy smile on her face, not at the bar with an uneasy posture and on-guard expression. He had an idea.

"We should go on a job!" Natsu said suddenly, sitting up.

"What?" Levy asked, surprised.

"We should go on a job that lets us destroy things and get this bad energy out of our systems! You need a break from the guild and if I have to listen to one more minute of Lucy and Gajeel making out, I'm gonna burn the hall down myself. So we should go destroy a town together!"

"We should NOT destroy a town Natsu," Levy laughed. Her face lit up in her first smile in a long time. "But a job sounds great! How about you pick one out?"

"Okay!" Natsu beamed, his smile was infectious, Levy found her worry about Gajeel melting away thanks to the pink haired wizard in front of her. Natsu stood up from the bar and made his way over to the jobs board.

Natsu read over each job application carefully, not really paying attention to the reward offered (there was something more important about this job than the jewel they'd receive) Natsu spotted a small flyer in the bottom corner of the board.

WANTED

Wizards to help a scholar to translate ancient texts

Reward: 20,000 Jewel

"Hey Natsu, whatcha doing?" Happy asked, floating alongside his best friend.

"Hey Happy. I'm looking for a job for Levy and I," Natsu answered.

"You and Levy? Do you liiike her?" Happy teased.

"Shut up! It's not like that, we need a distraction from... From the guild and a job is the perfect way to do it," Natsu replied as he took down the request for the translation job.

"Wow, that job looks dull," Happy commented, reading the request over Natsu's shoulder.

"Actually, Levy and I were gonna take this one solo, little buddy," Natsu told him, turning away from the board.

"Okay! Gray asked me to go on a cool job with him anyway," Happy replied happily as he flew back over to the Ice-Make wizard. It was obvious he was eager to bow out of the boring job. Natsu felt a brief flare of irritation that his rival was taking his best friend, even for just one job.

Damn Ice Brain! Oh well! With Levy's magic this will be the easiest job ever, Natsu thought to himself. He raced back over to where Levy was waiting, now surrounded by her teammates, Jet and Droy. He grabbed her hand and started to pull her away.

"Found one for us," Natsu told her proudly.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Jet asked.

"On a job," Natsu called back.

"Without us?" Droy questioned.

"Just for a change of pace," Levy called back as they reached the doors to the guild hall and left their friends behind.

"Natsu, what's the job?" Levy inquired as she and Natsu walked through Magnolia. She blushed as she realized Natsu still had a firm grip of her hand.

"Oh, here's the request," Natsu grinned handing it over to Levy, finally dropping her hand. She took the sheet from him and read through it.

"Hmm," Levy muttered thoughtfully to herself.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"This doesn't seem like your usual type of job," Levy replied, pleasantly surprised.

"Yeah, well this isn't just my job is it?" Natsu answered with a wide, toothy grin.

"That's actually really sweet of you," Levy giggled. Natsu grinned at her, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So shall we start walking?" Natsu suggested.

"Nope," Levy answered, grabbing the back of his scarf to stop his progress. "This job looks like it'll take a couple days to finish. Go grab your pack and I'll meet you at the train station in an hour!

* * *

On the train Natsu was trying his hardest to keep himself from throwing up while Levy was leaning against the window reading the book she had brought with her.

"I hate the train" Natsu complained, half whining and half moaning. Levy put her book down and looked over at the dragon slayer. She shifted in her seat.

"Natsu, try laying your head down in my lap" she offered to him. He did as he was told and the effects of his travel sickness eased a little bit as Levy began to gently run her fingers through his hair.

"You're gonna be fine, not much further to go now," she soothed. Between Levy's words and her playing with his hair, Natsu quickly drifted off to sleep. Levy let out a small chuckle as Natsu snored gently before returning to her book for the next hour until they reached their stop.

"Hey Natsu, wake up. We're here," Levy whispered as she gently prodded the Dragon Slayer awake.

"Huh?" Natsu moaned as his eyes flickered open.

"We're at our stop," Levy repeated.

Once off the train, Natsu took ten minutes to compose himself on a bench outside the station while Levy asked a local for directions. Natsu watched their interaction, scowling as the man placed a hand on Levy's arm. He ground his teeth together until he saw Levy purposefully step out of the man's hold. Feeling more like himself again, he walked up to Levy.

"Alright! I'm all fired up! Let's go get this job done!" Natsu flashed Levy his signature toothy grin before dragging her off through town.

Levy redirected him and they eventually ended up at a beautiful manor. She knocked on the door of the mansion and took a step back in line with Natsu. When no answer came Natsu stepped forward and hammered on the door.

"HEY! WE'RE HERE ABOUT THE JOB," he yelled. A few moments passed before Natsu picked up the sound of muffled footsteps approaching. The door opened and a elder gentleman answered the door.

"My apologies for the wait I was just in my library," he explained as he beckoned the two wizards inside. "Good afternoon and thank you for taking on this job request," he smiled, shaking hands with Natsu. "My name is Eizo, pleased to meet you," Eizo smiled, taking Levy's hand and planting a gentle kiss, Levy's face flushed red. Natsu's stomached twisted into an uncomfortable knot at the scene in front of him.

"My name is Levy and this is my friend Natsu," Levy introduced herself and Natsu.

"Thank you both for coming. I'll have you be working through here in my library." Levy's jaw dropped at the large room filled with floor to ceiling bookshelves.

"Sir, your library is amazing. There are so many rare tomes!" her eyes sparkled in awe as she spun in place to take in everything. Natsu's frown deepened.

"You have an impressive eye, young lady," Eizo smiled. "If you do this job well, I may let you take a look at some of my favorites."

"Oh I couldn't possibly—Are you sure?" Levy's eagerness won over her hesitation. The things she could learn...

"Of course, dear," Eizo's grin widened as Levy's smile grew more and more radiant. Natsu felt a brief flare of irritation and cut in.

"The job?" Natsu interrupted, finally having enough.

"Oh my! Please forgive me for getting so sidetracked!" Levy's cheeks bloomed into a brilliant shade of red in embarrassment.

"It's no worry to me deary," Eizo smiled. "Now you'll be working here on these tomes. They were just shipped to me from a distant relative who recently passed. They're in an ancient dialect that I was never able to properly master—Draconic. Are either of you familiar with that language?"

"I am," Levy smiled, surprising Natsu out of his funk.

"What?" he asked, shocked. Levy blushed.

"When you joined the guild, you were so awkward because of your father, I wanted to understand you better so that you'd feel more comfortable at the guild when you weren't on jobs. I read every book on dragons that I could get my hands on and kind of taught myself Draconic while trying to understand the more difficult texts. I can loan them to you if you're ever curious?"

"I think I might like that," Natsu smiled. He remembered most of Igneel's training, but a few things were fuzzier in memory than he'd like. Maybe Levy's books would help him refresh his memory. There was something important about his 18th birthday (which had just passed), but he couldn't remember what. Levy nodded kindly before turning back to the ever-patient Eizo.

"Am I understanding clearly that you just want us to translate these tomes from Draconic to the modern language?" she clarified.

"I actually want to leave the original text untranslated," Eizo clarified. "It'd be a shame to lose all written copies of a dying language. I want you to use magic to copy the text and images in these tomes to one of these blank books, but translate it to the modern language in the process." Levy nodded in agreement to everything he said.

"That's very doable," she smiled.

"Is there anything else we should be aware of before start?" Natsu asked.

"Oh, yes. There are rumors that this relative—distantly related, I'll remind you—was a practitioner of dark and forbidden magic. I'd like you to be careful about any potential protective spells that may harm the reader. If you find any, I'd like you to disarm them on the original text to make them safe for any future scholars who may decide to open them." Levy nodded, finally understanding the generous reward on the job.

The mage needed to have an understanding of dead languages, needed to have word magic, and needed to be able to work with rune magic... Out of everyone in Fairy Tail, only Levy or Freed would have been able to complete this job. And either of them would have needed to have a dragon slayer with them to confirm their translations.

"I understand the requirements of the job and we'll be happy to help you out," Levy nodded to Eizo.

"Wonderful. In that case, I'll leave you to your work. If you need any assistance, please ring this bell and one of my familiars will fetch me," Eizo smiled, gesturing to the gargoyle statues on the shelves. Levy nodded and bowed as Eizo smiled and left the library.

"You two seemed close," Natsu grumbled.

"And you seemed grouchy," she responded without pause as she set up the desk how she wanted it to work efficiently. She dug through her bag until she pulled out her magic pen. Natsu responded by plopping into the chair next to hers as she got settled and they got to work.

* * *

"Okay, I think we should call it a day," Levy yawned, moving herself away from her desk. She asked one of the gargoyles to go and fetch Eizo. It hadn't taken long after they started for Natsu to become bored out of his mind. While Levy worked, he began to nod off at the desk they were working at, only waking up when Levy prodded him to ask him to double check her work (which was fairly easy as Levy was translating everything perfectly).

"You called for me?" Eizo asked as he entered the library.

"I did. I think we are ready to call it a day," Levy informed him. She indicated the progress she and Natsu had made during the day.

"This is wonderful work, Miss Levy. Now, if I may ask; what are your arrangements for your stay in town? I have a spare room… or two if needed," Eizo offered. Natsu glared daggers at him. He really didn't like how close Eizo was getting to his nakama.

"That's very kind of you but we've got a hotel booked for the duration of our job," Levy told him, unaware or uncaring of Natsu's sour attitude.

"Of course. Of course," Eizo smiled. "I merely wanted to offer. I shall see you both in the morning," he smiled as he led them outside.

"C'mon. Let's go," Natsu snapped as he grabbed Levy's hand, dragging her down the path. The farther the pair got from the mansion, the more Natsu felt his irritation dissipate. Maybe there was a spell on Eizo's home that only effected dragon slayers? he mused idly.

Natsu was surprised when he felt Levy release his hand to grab his elbow and bicep, plastering herself to his side. He cast her a questioning glance, only to notice her attention was focused elsewhere. Following her gaze, he saw a group of guys with their eyes lustfully trained on Levy. He felt his blood boil, his anger coming back in full force. He needed to protect his friend, his nakama. He balled his free hand into a fist.

"Natsu, please don't. Let's just hurry up and get to the hotel please?" Levy asked. She had felt his muscles tense and knew what was on the Dragon Slayer's mind. Natsu hesitated, but relaxed when he felt her small hand stroke his bicep. To anyone who didn't know the pair, it would look as if they were close lovers.

Natsu was not clueless to what Levy was trying to do. She was trying to discourage the thugs from interacting with them by emphasizing Natsu's strength and acting as if she were infatuated with him. To him though, Levy's perceived calm was undermined as he felt her shudder at every catcall from the thugs.

"Fine," Natsu agreed, pulling his arm free to put it around her waist. Levy snuggled into his side and stayed glued to him until they were back in the hotel. She only stepped away from him when they were outside their rooms. Natsu felt the loss of her tiny form tucked into his side immediately.

"Thanks for all your help today, Natsu." Levy smiled. "You know… For everything," she blushed.

All of a sudden, all of the negative emotions that had been coursing through Natsu seemed to evaporate at Levy's touch. His trademark grin was plastered on his face as Levy let go of him.

"Anytime," he promised. He would protect and help any of his nakama anytime they asked, but somehow this felt different. More important. But why?

"G'night Natsu," Levy whispered as she let herself into her room. Natsu opened the door to his tiny room and flopped down on the bed. He closed his eyes as he tried to drift off to sleep.

"Ughh, this is impossible!" Natsu complained to the empty room.

His brain wouldn't stop working long enough to allow him to drift off to sleep. The walk home with Levy kept rolling over in his mind. He hated that any of his female nakama had that problem. No girl should walk down a street with a fear of being ogled. He never minded acting as a human shield to buffer the stares, but he firmly believed that the girls should be free to wear and go wherever they wanted without that sort of attention.

Especially Levy… Levy was a great friend and deserved to have any freedom she wanted, no matter how attractive she was.

An uncomfortable prickling heat washed over him. He stood up, pushed open the windows as wide as they'd go before heading back to bed. He tossed and turned for hours in the stifling heat, while his nakama next door lay buried in 3 blankets in an attempt to hide from the chill that she felt deep in her bones.

* * *

The next morning Levy and Natsu found themselves back in Eizo's library. A magic-operated ceiling fan spun overhead. Levy pushed her glasses back up her nose as she picked up where she had left off the previous evening. When his boredom got the better of him, Natsu knew better than to disturb her, so he got up from his seat and wandered around the room. He used the excuse of browsing titles of the books on the shelves to move about the room.

"I don't think you'd like any of those, they don't have any pictures in them." Levy teased.

"Oh ha ha. Very funny. Get back to work," Natsu snarked back, turning around and poking his tongue out at her. Levy rolled her eyes at him but obediently went back to translating the texts she had in front of her.

"Huh," Levy mumbled to herself as she read the chapter title.

"What?" Natsu asked.

"N-nothing," Levy deflected. She pushed her glasses up and got back to work. As Levy translated more of the chapter she found herself glancing over at Natsu. She was beginning to understand Natsu's odd, pouty behaviour lately. Maybe his instinct to mate is acting up and he wants to finish this job so he can find her. It would certainly explain how he's sweating with the fan running in this freezing room.

"Hey Natsu, could you please double check this translation for me?" Levy asked after a few minutes.

"Sure thing," Natsu confirmed as he walked over to join her.

Levy found herself freezing momentarily as she became aware of his presence directly behind her. His blistering warmth surrounded her like a warm caress as he leaned over her shoulder to see where she was referencing. With his hands bracing his weight on her chair's armrests, he may as well have been embracing her from behind.

Not that I'd mind being embraced by him more closely. This is the first time in the past few days I haven't felt cold in my bones. The thought flitted through her mind quickly, before she squashed it vehemently with a blazing blush. Nonetheless, Levy noticed herself leaning back towards his warmth.

"It looks mostly good Levy, but this one passage doesn't seem to read right," Natsu said as he pointed to the line in question. "You translated too literally when the there's not really a word for what the text was referencing. If you add a few words, it'll be closer to the book's meaning. Dragons don't choose their mates, their instincts do. It's like having another sense like sight or smell. You see your mate and know. The knowing is a sense that can be developed over time to always be aware of your mate once bonded. With practice, the mate can even sense their dragon back."

""What's that like?" Levy found herself asking. "For the text, I mean."

"They're a part of you. You could walk into the same city and know where they are from their scent. If you know them personally, then you could even find them without that. You just know where they are. You can find her just by following the bond. It's like…. The way Igneel described, it's like there's a string bonding your chests together. You can feel what the other feels without even being near them. You just are one." Natsu groaned at himself. "Who am I kidding… I can't explain it right! It's deeper than that… It's like… Explaining that you have a stomach. Except that stomach is your mate. Having and being one are just a part of who you are."

"That seems really...intimate," Levy blushed. I wonder what that'd be like. The feeling of being someone else's other half. To have someone know and feel you so intimately, they can know where you are and how you're feeling without even seeing you…

"You seem to have a lot of knowledge about it," Levy observed.

"Just what I've seen from Gajeel and Lucy, as well as what I heard from Igneel," Natsu shrugged before going back to the window. He was completely unaware that he left Levy one step from a melted puddle. "Man. I kinda wish Happy were here. I never noticed how quiet it is without him around," Natsu mused as he opened the window to let a breeze through. He felt really hot again.

"I'm sure he feels the same way. Why didn't he come with us?" Levy shivered at the breeze as she tried to shake herself out of whatever pile of goo Natsu had melted her into.

"He said Gray had asked him to do a job with him," his response surprised Levy.

"And you're okay with that?" she asked.

"I guess… Besides, we agreed that we needed this job to get away from… To get away from the guildhall," he awkwardly finished, trying not to think about how he wished he could run away from his own thoughts.

* * *

Eizo entered the library later in the evening, surprised to find Levy and Natsu still hard at work. Natsu was leaning over Levy as she had him double checking her work.

"Wow, I have to say, you Fairy Tail wizards certainly are dedicated to your job," Eizo commented.

"Oh, good afternoon Eizo," Levy greeted him.

"It's a little late for the afternoon, Ms. Levy," Eizo smiled. "Seeing as the sun has already gone to sleep, I suggest you both take a break for the evening."

"Is it really that late already?" Natsu exclaimed in shock as he started quickly bundling up their personal belongings. They had missed dinner!

"Oh my! I apologise if we've kept you up!" Levy bowed in apology as Natsu packed up in a whirlwind around her.

"It's no issue at all my dears. I'm actually very impressed by your dedication. I hope you both have a wonderful evening," Eizo smiled as he led them out.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality," Levy bowed again, even as Natsu tried to drag her out and down the road to the nearest restaurant. She ignored him as she stopped to put on her light jacket. Natsu bounced from foot to foot in impatience. "We'll see you again tomorrow!"

"Of course my dears! See you in the morning!" Eizo smiled as Natsu finally got tired of waiting for Levy to finish saying farewell and scooped her up in his arms before running down the road.

The evening air was filled with the sounds of Levy's screeches to put her down.

Natsu and Levy had almost made it back to their hotel when they heard the catcalls.

"Hey Blue, why don't you leave pinky there and come over here and hang with us," a guy yelled out. Natsu froze with Levy stiffening in his arms.

"Yeah! Come on baby! You look like you know how to have fun!" Natsu carefully lowered Levy to her feet. Even as a brief flash of insecurity passed through her, Levy tried to grab at him.

"Natsu?" she begged, recognizing the look on her friend's face. "Please don't. Just ignore them and we'll go to the restaurant, okay?"

"Forget that punk sweet cheeks and we'll show ya a good time!"

This time, Levy wasn't able to hold Natsu back as his eyes dilated black and sent a flaming fist into the punk's face.

* * *

Later in the inn, Levy was fluttering around Natsu, patching him up as she scolded him. He was getting annoyed, even as he shoveled the inn's room service into his mouth.

"Why would you attack them like that Natsu? It wasn't anything I hadn't heard before!"

"Just because you've gotten into the habit of ignoring them to avoid conflict DOES NOT make it okay," Natsu hissed as she used alcohol to dab at a cut on his shoulder.

Levy froze.

"You think I like it when they speak to me that way?" she exclaimed. "Natsu—"

"Just because a couple jerks decide to treat you like a piece of meat, doesn't mean it's okay or that they should get away with it."

"I never said there was!" She finally yelled. "I hate it. Ever since—ever since—" she choked back a sob as memories surfaced. She took a breath, centering herself as her voice dropped to a whisper. "Ever since Gajeel attacked me, I see everyone as a threat. I don't feel safe walking home alone anymore. It's ridiculous because I'm a Fairy Tail wizard, but one wizard was able to take down my entire team in one attack. He's a good guy with Lucy and I'm getting better, but it's still scary. More than that, though, I don't like you getting into fights over me!"

"Why?"

"Because you're my—my nakama," Levy felt the lie in her heart as she said it. She wasn't dense. She knew he was starting to become so much more.

"Exactly, Levy," Natsu tried to explain. "Don't you think I'd do it for anyone in the guild?"

Levy sighed.

"Just… Be more careful, okay? I know you were able to inflict a lot more pain onto them than they were able to lay onto you, just…. I don't like seeing you hurt; especially because of me."

Levy finished cleaning up Natsu and left to go to her room. Natsu said nothing until she was already gone.

"Don't you think I feel the same?" he asked the empty room.

Neither mage got much rest that evening. Both were too busy thinking things over to quiet their thoughts. Levy was also freezing in her room while Natsu couldn't help but feel completely overheated.

* * *

The next day, Levy and Natsu found themselves back at the desk in Eizo's library. Levy turned the page in the tome she was studying, ready to translate the next page. Absentmindedly, she tugged her sweater tighter around her body. Natsu's scarf hung carefully on the back of a chair as he lazily fanned himself with a piece of paper.

"Are we done yet?" Natsu yawned.

"In just… a… Yes, we are!" Levy replied triumphantly as she placed a full stop on the final page of her translation.

"Great! Let's get our pay and get out of here," Natsu beamed. He sent Eizo's gargoyle to go and fetch his master. Their host entered the library a few moments later.

"My familiar tells me that you've finished translating everything?"

"We have," Levy told him, a proud smile on her face.

"And in only three days. I have to say I'm very impressed Ms. Levy. Another wizard told me that it would take a week maybe more for them to do the same job."

"Well... I..." Levy stuttered.

"Yeah, well when it comes to reading and book related stuff, there's nobody better than Levy," Natsu told him.

"Yes, I can see that," Eizo smiled happily.

"Maybe you should look it over before you come to any conclusion," Levy responded bashfully. "There were a few spells that tried to hurt the reader, but I was able to disable those without any trouble using runes before they were even able to put up a fight."

"Of course." Eizo agreed as he walked over to the two mages. Leaning over Levy's shoulder, he began to check on their work by reading the translated text. While he was far from fluent, he knew enough Draconic to cross reference several pages at random to confirm a consistency of work.

"It looks perfect!" Eizo praised.

"Sweet, now how about our payment?" Natsu questioned, jealous at Eizo's proximity to Levy.

"Of course. Would 50,000 Jewel suffice?" Eizo asked.

"Wait… That's well more than double what you put on the job request. I don't think we shou—"

"Call it a bonus for how quickly you managed to complete this job," Eizo countered as he put the payment on the table. "Now, did you mention wanting to have a look through some of the rare tomes I own?" Eizo inquired.

"Wow, okay. If you're sure about the payment, thank you," Levy replied gracefully. "And I'd love to, if it's not an imposition!"

Natsu watched the interaction between Levy and their client with a knot forming in his stomach. He gritted his teeth and turned away from them.

"I'll see you back at the hotel," Natsu snapped as he snatched the money from Eizo and stormed out of the library.

"Is your friend okay?" Eizo asked as he and Levy watched Natsu storm off.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Natsu is typically a fighter and doesn't have a lot of patience or a lasting attention span. He was probably going crazy in here," Levy explained with a smile.

"Of course," Eizo smiled as he reached for a certain shelf. "I think you'd enjoy this volume," he smiled as he handed her another book on dragonology. Levy blushed as she realized it was a much more detailed volume about dragons and their mates.

Eizo smiled and gestured to the comfortable armchairs in front of the fire. He picked up the volume she had just finished translating. She followed and snuggled into the chair across from him with the book he had handed her.

As Levy read, her eyes widened. Natsu's explanation about mates made a lot more sense now. They needed and completed each other. Lucy was strong, but she needed a stronger partner who she could smooth the rough edges for. She needed a protector who was strong and who couldn't be hurt by her family. Gajeel is literally made of metal. Not even bullets could harm him.

As she began to read through it all of Natsu's behaviours lately seemed to explain themselves in reference to herself. He had fought vehemently to protect her from the womanizing thugs, both verbally and physically. She always felt cold as if she lived in a freezer, while Natsu's body ran hotter than a bonfire. She always seemed to give him a lingering sense of peace while he dragged her out of her libraries to experience life. They were Yin and Yang to each other.

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as the realisation dawned on her. She was Natsu's mate.

* * *

"Eizo darling. I believe I've just bumped into a young man who was storming off from here. Has something happened with the translating job?" Sayoran asked as he entered the library. Eizo looked up from his seat next to Levy.

"Oh, that's nothing to worry about honey. He was just feeling a little restless. I'm told he's more of a man of action, so he doesn't do well being cooped up like this," Eizo replied.

Eizo's husband surveyed the scene in the library. His husband was curled up in one armchair and a young blue-haired lady was curled up in the other. She was blushing as she read her book and Eizo looked as clueless as ever. Sayoran loved him, but Eizo was not known to understand how his actions could look to others. The man was as sweet as sugar and was incapable of having ulterior motives. That didn't stop people from constantly misconstruing his kindness as more.

"Sweetheart, are you sure you haven't made her boyfriend a little bit jealous?" Sayoran asked gently.

Levy's cheeks flushed an alarming shade of red as she tried to insist that Sayoran had the wrong idea about Natsu and herself. However, the lie came out as a feeble squeak. Wasn't it true that they'd be together? They were mates after all.

"Jealous? Whatever do you mean?" Eizo asked.

"Love. I adore you. But you're absolutely clueless sometimes. And deary; you're adorable. Don't you realize how he looks at you?"

"But you haven't seen him look at me! And you don't know Natsu. He's not like that… He's completely clueless. He could never—"

"Now you know that's a lie darling. Look at my darling, clueless husband. If it's not in a book, he doesn't pay attention. However, he noticed me. Got so jealous and upset over me that he tried to take on a group of thugs. Poor soul didn't have a chance. But it gave me the chance to fall head over heels as I cleaned him up for the next week. Now I don't have to actually see this young man look at you to know the distressed look on that pink-haired face when he bumped into me walking down the road. That was the look of heartbreak. Now tell me, are you sure that he doesn't like you?"

Natsu couldn't actually be jealous, could he? Levy wondered.

"I'm sorry, I think I'd better go after him and straighten this whole situation out."

"Of course deary and thank you so much for all of your hard work these past few days," Eizo smiled.

"It was our pleasure. Thank you again for your hospitality," Levy smiled.

"No problem! And we would absolutely adore it if you came back to visit our library!"

* * *

Natsu stormed down the road toward town. He barely stopped to apologize when he bumped into a middle aged man coming in the opposite direction before continuing down the road.

He briefly considered going back to the hotel, but thought better of it. He was practically vibrating with energy. Instead, he veered off course and ran into the forest. He just planned on running until exhaustion settled in, but when he came across a clearing caused by a wildfire, he changed his mind.

Levy couldn't get mad at him for starting fires, if natural fires had already destroyed a lot of the vegetation!

Why did it matter what Levy thought?

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu yelled as he reduced a tree to a smouldering pile of ashes at his feet. Natsu was frustrated at everyone as he sidekicked another tree across the field. His feelings surrounding Levy confused him. He felt so protective, but he also felt lost. He wanted her to be happy, but didn't know how to make that happen.

He was mad at his father. Igneel should have been there to help him through this problem. He shouldn't have just abandoned him as a kid. Didn't he know how much Natsu needed him? There was so much about his own nature as a dragon slayer that Natsu didn't understand. It really pissed him off.

"WHAT THE HELL DAD?" He set a stream of trees on fire with a breath attack. "Why leave me with all these issues and questions. ALL. ON. MY. OWN?" A different tree splintered from his fist at every word. "Why do I care so much about Levy all of a sudden? And WHAT was I supposed to remember about my 18th birthday?" Natsu vented aloud as he released his flames with his fists. It was almost therapeutic after a while.

He didn't know how long he threw fire until he finally collapsed on his back. As he lay down, he stared up at the blue sky overhead. His breathing slowly became less ragged as he focused on slowing his heart-rate. He smiled as the colour reminded him of…

"Hey Natsu," Levy greeted, her smiling face suddenly appearing over him.

"Levy?!" Natsu jumped at her sudden appearance. Levy sat down and Natsu sat up so the pair were eye to eye.

"You stink," she teased.

"I was working out!" he protested, immediately defensive against her teasing grin.

"And did you burn off all of your extra energy? Or do you still have some left for later?"

Natsu blushed as Levy cocked her head, curious before she guessed his train of thought and blushed redder than the sunset overhead.

"No no no no no!~ I was just thinking it might be nice to celebrate completing our finished job. Now that we've got our pay, we could go out to dinner to celebrate? Are you interested?" Levy asked hopefully.

"Wouldn't you rather go and have dinner with your new boyfriend?" Natsu snapped at her childishly, regretting it even as he said it.

"Nah," she shrugged noncommittally. "While I enjoy talking to a fellow bibliophile, I don't think his husband would be too pleased if I asked him on a date," Levy deflected lazily as she leaned forward to idly brush some ash off his shoulder. Natsu's cheeks turned from pink to red as words failed him. She didn't take back the words about it being a date, which made Natsu wonder if she even noticed the way they sounded.

Did he like Levy?

"Come on Natsu! Please come to dinner with me? We can make it all you can eat?" Levy suggested, raising an eyebrow at him. She knew the best way to get Natsu to comply was with an offer of as much food as he could manage.

"Aye," Natsu grinned. The ire he had lingering seemed to dissolve a little bit more every time Levy smiled at him and he couldn't even pretend to not be happy to just see her smiling.

"Come on then!" Levy offered a hand out to him. Natsu allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. "I wasn't joking earlier. You need a shower and I want to change before we go out to dinner!"

Before they left, Levy made sure that her word-made water had put out any lingering fires that Natsu may have made. She recognized most of the destruction had been pre-Natsu-tantrum, but she didn't want to cause the local village to have any fire scares

* * *

Natsu was the first to be ready, but after getting Lucy as his partner, he knew women took longer to get ready. He made himself comfortable in the inn's lobby while he waited for Levy. He hadn't been waiting long when he felt Levy approaching him from behind. He stood and turned to greet her, but his jaw dropped instead.

His mouth dried up like the deserts of southern Fiore as he took in her outfit. Gone was her typical hair ribbon; instead she had braided her longer bangs back while leaving the rest of her hair down to form a flattering hairstyle which made her neck look longer. She typically wore loose halter dresses, but tonight her skin-tight little black dress left little to the imagination. Her wrists each had a deep blue glass bangle that made her blue hair seem to shine even brighter than usual. Normally makeup-less, her light pink lipstick and mascara made her lips fuller and her eyes appear wider. In other words, she was stunning. Natsu almost didn't recognize her as the bookworm he had grown up with. Instead, she had grown into a beautiful woman who he felt honored to escort to dinner.

"Natsu, you ready to go?" Levy repeated herself. She had hoped her outfit would make Natsu notice her more, but she was getting nervous by his reaction.

"Huh? What did—I mean, yes, I'm ready," Natsu answered, snapping himself out of his dazed state. "You look amazing."

"Thank you," Levy smiled. Natsu stood up and jokingly offered his elbow. Levy beamed as she held his arm and Natsu's cheeks pinkened slightly as the pair walked out of the hotel.

"You look really nice tonight Natsu," Levy observed. And he did. Natsu had dressed up in his typical scarf, a purple button-up shirt (which briefly reminded Levy of Laxus) and black slacks. Levy observed that Natsu actually pulled purple off better than their elder nakama. His pink hair and tanned skin tone looked better in purple than Laxus did.

Natsu smiled down at Levy.

"Hey Levy… Knock knock," Natsu began a joke.

"Who's there?" she smiled, happy to just joke with him.

"Cow says."

"Cow says who?"

"No, a cow says moooooooo," Natsu finished his joke causing Levy to snort with laughter.

"That was actually really funny," she giggled. "Okay, I've got one for you!"

"Go for it," Natsu grinned.

"Knock knock," Levy opened.

"Who's there?"

"A little old lady."

"A little old lady who?"

"Wow Natsu, I didn't know you could yodel," Levy smiled. This time it was Natsu's turn to laugh before he replied with another joke of his own.

Natsu and Levy continued like this all the way to the restaurant. There wasn't a care in the world between them. There was nothing to do but enjoy each others' company.

Natsu felt as light as air until they entered the restaurant and every man with a set of eyes turned to admire Levy. Jealousy immediately overrode every other emotion he had been feeling a few minutes ago.

"Good evening," The hostess greeted them. "A table for two?"

"Yes please," Levy smiled.

"Excellent. Right this way please," she smiled, leading them to a small table in the back corner. Levy and Natsu sat down and picked up their menus.

As soon as the hostess walked away, their waitress swept in for their drink orders.

Natsu immediately ordered himself a beer and asked for a Malbec for Levy.

"I'll go get your drinks and give you some time to look over the menu," the waitress told them.

Natsu went back to his menu, but Levy was looking at him slack-jawed. "What?" he asked, when he finally noticed her staring.

"Why did you order me a Malbec?" Levy asked.

"Don't you always get a Malbec when you eat out?" Natsu was confused. "Did I order wrong?"

"No!" Levy exclaimed. "I—I was actually craving a Malbec. I was just surprised. Thank you," Levy smiled as she opened her menu and began perusing it.

Natsu—while appearing to be studiously looking through his menu—wasn't interested in anything other than the thought of protecting and hiding Levy. He was snapped back out of his mind by Levy calling his name.

"Huh—What?"

"Do you know what you're getting?" Levy repeated, patiently. She knew she had attracted attention and the thought that it put Natsu on edge made her feel flattered.

"I was going to get spaghetti. What are you having?"

"I'm thinking of ordering the chicken marsala."

"Sounds good," Natsu agreed, "That'll taste good with your wine, right?" he asked absently as he kept glaring around at the patrons, almost daring them to approach Levy. Levy's grin grew as she was truly able to observe how defensive he was of her. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly beautiful as Natsu protected her.

She had no idea how they hadn't explored the concept of being together sooner.

The waitress came back with their drinks and Levy placed their dinner orders before Natsu could. His eyes narrowed at her in a challenge, but Levy just beamed at him.

No more words were shared between the two until the waitress came back with their meals.

"Thank you," Levy smiled politely while Natsu mumbled his own thanks, not even looking at their server. All of his focus was on Levy. The waitress bowed and left them alone. After they both took a few bites, Levy broke the silence.

"Natsu, you seem abnormally quiet tonight."

"I'm fine," he lied.

"Right. Then are you going to sit there with a face like Gray's just stolen job money from you, or are you going to talk to me?" Levy asked.

"I'm not sitting here with Gray's stupid face," Natsu snapped at her.

"I didn't say you were," Levy glared. "I simply observed that you were more quiet than usual and you snapped. We aren't children, so please act our age and just speak to me if there's something wrong!" Levy demanded.

"That's just it. There's nothing wrong to talk about," Natsu growled, before sighing. "I was just thinking about Igneel. He told me something about my birthday and I can't remember what it was. It's pissing me off."

"Natsu?" Levy reached out and took his hand between her own. He was warm to the touch. Levy felt as if she was right in front of a roaring fire. She loved the feeling and held his hand tighter to gain more warmth. Natsu frowned.

"You're freezing."

"I always am, Natsu. Don't try to distract me. Maybe if you talk out what you remember, then you'll—" Levy trailed off as Natsu pulled away from her to stand up. He pulled her chair closer to his in a way that she noticed partially hid her from the stares of other patrons. He unwound his scarf and put it around her neck.

Once he was sure she was out from under the air vents, and guaranteed to be slightly warmer next to him, Natsu settled back.

"I… I dunno," Natsu answered finally, all the frustration he had felt building up inside evaporating at her closeness. "He kept saying something about something big happening after I turned 18, but I can't remember what it was for the life of me."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, I guess."

"What else do you know of mates than what you've already told me?" Levy asked gently.

"Probably less than you after this job," Natsu answered with a wry smile.

Levy picked at her meal as she tried to find the right words to clue Natsu in to what she already figured out.

"What about any of the behaviours you've seen from Gajeel towards Lucy. Do any of them seem familiar? Like you're feeling the same way? I mean… Is there anyone you've been drawn to—is 'claim' that the right word?"

"Yeah, claimed is right," Natsu confirmed.

"Then is there anyone you have seen as a possible mate to claim?"

Natsu thought for a moment while his inner dragon was roaring at him that he was a the world's biggest idiot. All his inner dragon wanted to do was grab Levy and lick and bite at her neck until no one questioned whether she was available. His dragon strived to mark and claim the petite bluenette. Natsu's jaw dropped in shock. That's why he felt so protective of her.

He was in love with her.

Levy placed a hand on top of his as she stayed deep in thought. The longer he stayed quiet the more her concern grew. Maybe she had pushed too much.

"Nats—" She began before Natsu almost knocked over the table as he sprung up.

"You're mine… Levy, you're my mate!" He looked like a kid who had just received the best gift at Christmas.

He was elated as the truth finally hit him. He was hers and she was his. His inner dragon only recognized their mates when the dragon came of age—When Natsu was 18.

Levy's smile seemed to light up the room as she heard the words she had so desperately wanted to hear. His trademark grin was plastered on his face as he threw his arms around her. Levy giggled as Natsu tugged her on his lap. He nuzzled her neck, food quickly forgotten in his elation at realizing Levy was his mate. She blushed at their position.

"So… umm, hypothetically...how do we seal the bond?" she asked, shyly.

Natsu's eyes flashed before he gave her his trademark goofy grin.

"First, we've got to leave this restaurant," he whispered in her ear. "I have a feeling that's something you wouldn't like an audience for."

A couple jewels and two half-finished meals were all the pair left behind as Levy dragged Natsu out of the restaurant and back to their hotel room.

* * *

Fairy Tail was experiencing a day like any other. Joking insults were thrown, a brawl was started, and a brawl was swiftly ended once Erza's cake got ruined.

Mirajane was behind the bar, lovingly serving her nakama, when her eyes narrowed in on the two mages who had just walked in. These same two mages had left for a translation job together a week earlier.

Natsu and Levy walked into the Guild Hall, hand in hand. Natsu beamed brightly while Levy smiled coyly, his trademark scarf was wrapped tightly around her neck.

Happy was the second to notice their appearance.

"Natsu! You're back!" He yelled out as he rocketed over to the pink-haired Dragon Slayer.

"Hey buddy. Ya miss me?" Natsu asked, only letting go of Levy's hand to hug the blue cat

"I did. I really did. Gray and Juvia's job was boring. They didn't even destroy any buildings! It just wasn't the same without you there... Gray's a lot heavier than you are," Happy told him.

"I AM NOT!" Gray answered back loudly from his place across the bar.

"Hey! Don't yell at my friend like that," Natsu shot back at him.

"Oh yeah? What you gonna do about it Flame Brain?" Gray replied. Natsu balled his hand into a fist and took a step forward before Levy's grip on his elbow pulled him back.

"Don't?" she requested. Natsu calmed instantly and turned his back to Gray. He took her hand again and replied with a nod.

"Let's go and get some food, okay?" he suggested.

"Good idea," she agreed with a smile.

Levy took a seat opposite Jet and Droy while Natsu went to the bar to order their lunch from Mirajane.

"Hey guys, how ya doing?" Natsu asked as he dropped into the seat next to Levy. Without thinking, he threw an arm around her shoulder. Jet and Droy quickly exchanged glances at the scene before answering.

"So...what's with the scarf?" Jet asked first. Levy blushed and tugged the scarf up higher on her neck, trying to hide behind it. Natsu just grinned.

Droy decided that he didn't want to actually know how many hickeys she was hiding and changed the question. "How was the job?"

"It was..."

"A welcome distraction," Levy finished for him with a smile.

The guild descended into chaos as the pair shared a sweet kiss, but neither mage could care less. They had their mate.


End file.
